


Present Imperfect: Snapshots

by tersa (alix)



Series: Dragon Age:Present Imperfect [7]
Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-09-29
Updated: 2011-12-12
Packaged: 2017-10-24 04:03:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/258786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alix/pseuds/tersa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Short fics written in the Present Imperfect series universe.</p><p>(Updated 12-Dec-2011: Chapter 3 - "You Know, This Means War")</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Blankets are better than fires

“Maker, I’d forgotten how _cold_ it got here!” Marian complained as she pulled off her boots. “Did they forget to lay your fire or something?”

Nathaniel slipped his icy hands under the hem of her shirt to lay them against her bare skin, garnering a yelp that made him chuckle. “No. I’ve just always preferred sleeping in a cold room.”

She shivered as she kicked off her pants and scrambled under the covers, getting as close to him and the pocket of warmth he’d created as she possibly could. “I don’t know why you would,” she muttered into his shoulder.

His arms went around her, holding her close, his breath tickling her cheek as he kissed it. His knee slipped between her legs, and his voice was husky when he said, “Beginning to understand now?”


	2. Darkspawn Killing

“Five!” Nathaniel called out.

Marian snarled. “Two!”

Smoothly, he pulled another arrow from his quiver nocked it, and let fly, barely registering the fact it had buried itself in the chest of a hurlock threatening to swam her before he was repeating the process, taking down a genlock. She was engaged with an alpha, and keeping the weaker ones off her back was as useful to him as it was to her—she was preventing the alpha from coming after him, or the mages. But it did give him bragging rights.

“Nine!”

A roar sounded, and he looked up to see an ogre approaching. “Flames,” he muttered, wheeling around to send arrow after arrow at it, turning it into a pincushion.

The hurlock alpha went down, and with a primal scream, Marian charged the ogre, bringing her massive sword down across its chest in a slash. It toppled backwards at the force of the hit, and she didn’t stop, scrambling up its torso to drive the blade home through its chest.

The silence that descended was almost deafening in its totality, making the meaty gurgle of her withdrawing her sword all the more noticeable. She turned to him, hopping down, and said, “That should be at _least_ worth ten.”


	3. You Know, This Means War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for a 2011 Ficmas prompt: " _Hawke/Nate - fluff involving archery in some way._ "

Marian drew back the bowstring, trying to keep everything Nathaniel said in mind: pull back nice and smooth, feel it through the shoulders, adjust the sights for the fitful currents of wind, breathe evenly, let the breath out before releasing, and…

Something tickled at her ear, less than a sword, more than an insect, and every thought flew out of her head. Her fingers sprang apart, and the arrow loosed wildly, flying far wide of the cloth draped over hay bales several paces away serving as targets.

“Andraste’s gold-limned butt cheeks, what the hell was that?” she ranted, whirling around while brandishing the bow like a slender claymore.

Smirking— _smug_ smirk, Nathaniel stood with his arms crossed, twirling a long white feather between his thumb and forefinger. “There’s more than just knowing how to shoot involved, you have to be able to do it while distracted, too.”

“Distracted? I’ll show you distracted, Howe,” she snarled and snatched the feather from his grip before stalking back towards the Keep.

“Where are you going with that?” he called to her back.

Turning to walk backwards while answering, she smiled while giving him a threatening glare. “You’ll see. _Tonight_.”


End file.
